VETERANS DAY 2012

Our national and individual appreciation, value of and gratitude to our veterans should never be refused them: our veterans have proven their willingness to protect our nation and to do so in situations and conditions that many of them never disclose out of consideration for the rest of us.

We should also never exclude the families of veterans from our gratitude, because the family is tested and tried along with the veterans, and, this trial of perseverance and determination to remain stoic in extremely challenging material, emotional and psychological circumstances can make — in my experience, did make — permanent impact on familial structure. The family members of veterans often are overlooked while their experiences also often go unstated out of consideration for their veteran and during active duty, especially.

In today’s compromised world of informational security, veterans and their families cannot and should not publicly disclose details or even experiences as to military service, and, even socially, there needs to be caution exercised as to with whom what is shared.

All told, military service for veteran and family can be a lonely experience and they must maintain appearances and functions of normalacy despite the severity of living — and working — conditions.

Our veterans have earned our nation’s gratitude and their families have earned our respect and both have earned our nation’s gratitude.

Happy Veteran’s Day to the heroes among us, those who do and have done what is needed to be done to keep the rest of us, and our Republic, alive.